The case of two men accused of membership of the Provisional IRA and arranging meetings on behalf of the banned organisation collapsed on Wednesday when the prosecution announced it was “offering no evidence’’ against them.

Sean Gerard Hughes, 52 and of Aghadavoyle Road, Jonesborough, Co Armagh and Padraic Conner Wilson, 55 and of Hamill Park, Andersonstown, West Belfast, had previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of belonging to a proscribed organisation between January 1, 2005 and March 31, 2005.

They also denied that on a date unknown between February 1, 2005 and the March 7 2005, in Belfast they “addressed a meeting and the purpose of this address was to encourage support for a proscribed organisation, namely, the Irish Republican Army, or to further its activities”.

This related to a meeting in Clonard Monastery in West Belfast.

The defendants further pleaded not guilty to a similar charge of addressing at meeting at Holy Cross Church in Ardoyne on a date between February 25, 2005 and March 9, 2005.